ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ FOCUSED

©Ginger Nielson 2010

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ CLUMSY

Yes, Harold was always CLUMSY.... He should have known four skis are hard to control.

©GingerNielson

Nice Weather for..........

©Ginger Nielson

An Illustrator's world

In this world we dream in color. We enjoy the way dust settles on objects. Dog hair that forms little objects of its own gets inspected for ideas before it is swept up.
Cracks in the tile floor invite us to imagine creatures that were or never were.
A shadow has a life of its own. Sixteen shades of blue can never be enough.
The laundry waits... we don't care if we eat on time, ...(but everyone else in the family does *:) Illustrations that are almost good are never good enough and need to be worked on just until the right spot has arrived for stopping. And we do need to know when to stop!
We can draw or paint and pray at the same time. Music can help or hinder... the light needs to be just right and if it isn't we adjust the artificial lights.
If the snow calls to us, we need to answer it by putting on boots and wading into and through the drifts.
Stopping to make a small snowman or two is allowed.
Deer tracks need to be followed.
We wait for the full moon to cover the snow with so much light it seems like day.

What is your world like today?

Still snowing...

We love to look out our kitchen window and think about the warm days of summer. Quite a different sight these days.

The Snow Effect

When we moved to northern New England a friend told me that anyone who stays here through 4 winters would become a life long resident.

This is our 6th winter. I imagine we will be sticking around. I am not too sure, however, that I have ever experienced this much snow per season.... ever. It seems like it is here from Thanksgiving until Easter. Much of the time with cold and wind.

We did move here because we love the area. We love snow... and now that we have found someone who plows our driveway, we can continue to do so. Those extra 10 inches or so were quick work for our neighbor with his plow and his trusty helper, his beagle Lucy. Lucy patiently waits in the truck when the driver comes to chat with us and Henry just stands vigil and barks at her.

Next time they come, and there will be a next time, I'll take a picture of Lucy who is so well behaved. Henry needs to observe her patience a bit more.

We seem to be in some kind of snow loop with snow showers for the next few days. My shoveling is limited to the back yard where I constantly create little pathways and tunnels for Henry .

For Those who help others... Haitian Mission

You may be very interested in reading the blog posts of Kim and Patrick Bentrott. This young couple has been commissioned to serve the people of Haiti.

A link to the blog is here: Kim and Patrick's blog - Adventures in Life.

I urge you to visit their blog and experience in words and pictures the beauty and devastation that coexist in this country.

Their account of the earthquake and their efforts to help those in need is an astounding testament not only to their faith but to the dedication of so many who serve the Haitian communities.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ WILDERNESS

©Ginger Nielson

This should qualify as a wilderness of sorts. If I could, I would be there right now.

Other uses for my Harmonica

Besides playing the harmonica in a less than perfect fashion, I have found a new use!

I can call my dog with the high note. *:)

This One's For You.... Illustrators and Authors- a Survey

You don't need to be a children's book author or illustrator to take part in this little mini survey.

Just finish honestly in five or less thoughts, the following statement:

I know I am an author/illustrator because.......

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ CONFINED

©Ginger Nielson

No longer CONFINED to earth the travelers set off in the safe CONFINMENT of their hot air vehicle. The theory is to keep the cat busy, let the dog be the lookout and make sure you have an accurate map. There is a job for everyone on this flight.

Images from the eZine SFC

Stories for Children is an online magazine for children published once a month.

These are illustrations for two of the stories for which I was selected to illustrate for the January issue. You can find Stories for Children here.

Update on the Website

Let it Snow!

©Ginger Nielson 2010

We are having a beautiful snowy day here in NH. It is supposed to snow for the next couple of days but, mainly for us, a lighter snowfall of only 8-10 inches. Right now we have the best kind of snow. Light, fluffy, blowing around, easy to shovel snow has covered all that we had previously shoveled. Clearing pathways for Henry is easy when we have this kind of snow. And Henry stands and waits for me to create more and more running space for him. This is a dog that hates to get his feet wet.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ RENEWAL

Note* In order to see the entire image and the little SURPRISE you will need to click on the illustration.

My New Year's wish for all is a peaceful renewal. A renewal for friendships,

and communications.

A renewal that creates an atmosphere of cooperation between

all creatures and nations.

©Ginger Nielson 2010